Shoutcast Directory Plugin

[vertiger]

Here is an early version for an Shoutcast Directory Plugin (not so early anymore )

--> browse and listen to the shoutcast directory

current state:
- browse genre and tunein to stations
- search for stations
- favorites
- backgroundworker for the xml-grabbing
- filter by bitrate and/or starting character
- sorting by name, bitrate and listeners
- uses player from mp to play the stream and display the vis
- record multiple streams

note:
- favorites are saved in the same format as the xml-data from shoutcast
- language file is readable by the mp xml config reader

update:
- corrected the cursor path
- added display of running track, meta info, genre and listeners
- added search for an station
- i am currently working an the filter by bitrate und starting character

update:
- implementation bitrate and starting character filter complete

update 0.0.0.1 18.11.2007:
- added widescreen skin files
- added button for favorites (future use) - executes nothing at the moment
- Escape or Back now executes the action of the back button
- shortened the plugin name (reactivate the plugin in the configuration - if you have trouble delete all entries of the shoutcast plugin in mediaportal.xml)

update 0.0.0.2 21.11.2007:
- small skin update
- implemented backgroundworker for the xml grabbing (also uses WaitCursor - Progress cycle)
- implemented favorites (they are saved when you are leaving the plugin) - use context to add / remove favorites
- some smaller refactoring

update 0.0.0.2a 22.11.2007:
- corrected small error in the wide skin file

update 0.0.0.2b 23.11.2007:
- corrected other error in the wide skin file
- corrected the error of not showing genres (when switching back)
- all used files are now given with absolut paths

update 0.0.0.3 13.12.2007:
- internal redesign for better station handling
- add caching for the genres- and stations-lists (use reload in th context menu, if needed)
- design update (delete the Cache folder in the Mediaportal directory to reload the skin files)
- some minor stuff ...

update 0.0.0.3a 14.12.2007:
- removed position of the list view in the skin files
- fixed the reload behavior of the search display
- add auto-reload of cached genres (once every hour)

update 0.0.0.3b 15.12.2007:
- fixed navigation issue with skin other then BlueTwo or BlueTwo Wide
- fixed some internal paths
- made MPI package (note: default skin files have the 4:3 format, if you use an wide screen skin copy the xml skin file from BlueTwo Wide to your skin folder)

update 0.0.0.3c 03.01.2008:
- skin: chained the control elements together (to prevent control path errors in other skins)
- show the last view on return

update 0.0.0.4 30.01.2008:
- fixed bug: selecting station when pressed volume up
- removed back button
- added sort by button (sorting by name, listeners or bitrate is now possible)
(no update for the pictures)

update 0.0.0.5 09.02.2008:
- added multilingual support (see language/shoutcast-languages.xml) - has english, german and italian (thx @ cabala)
- added notification for changing track (nothing fancy, just a notification windows pops up automatically)
- some bugfixes

Note:
It uses the same language setting as MP (see configuration/skin). Please pm me the section for your language, if you like. Please use only the language names given by MP (see the other language files there). The language sections can be found at Mediaportal/language/shoutcast-languages.xml.
This version runs smoothly on my dev-pc (vista business, mp svn 17264) and my HTPC (xp mce 2005, mp svn something after 17000). There could be an issue with the startup time and not recognizing the language (currently only german and italian). If that happens to you, report that (inclusive specs, log and everything strange).

Please provide translations to other languages.

update 0.0.0.5a 10.02.2008:
- enabled setup dialog in mp configuration
- track change notifcation is default off now

update 0.9.0 27.02.2008:
- added record feature (record button is not working currently, because the record action is not relayed to the plugin), can be activated / de- in the context menu, the recording folder is defined in the configuration

NOTE: recording of multiple streams is possible, one listener is created for every recording (you need enough bandwidth to handle all streams at the same time)
reloading genres or stations stops the records as the stations with the listeners are destroyed - i will think about a better gui solution

disclaimer: recording web streams maybe illegal in our country, do not hold me responsable for doing something illegal - recording is only for personal / individual usage

update 0.9.1 23.08.2008:
- changed the user agent as the old one is blocked by sc
- linked against the newest svn dlls

update 0.9.2 13.10.2008
- user agent blocked again - i have added a little surprise - we will see how long this "adjustment" holds
- added files for default skin Blue3 (no support for FlimStrip yet, maybe at some later point)
- build against the RC3 dlls

[m0deth]

3 feature requests....besides some stability issues.

First - can we get widescreen support? 16:9 at very least

Second - can you make a favorites list? so stations can be tagged and stored in a quicklist you can just call up without doing the search? this will help reduce the pounding the shoutcast servers will take in the way the plugin is used once people find channels they like.

Third - Can you make this appear in My Radio? or is that too hard? I find the way this plugin works to be superior to prior methods of gathering/playing streaming stations.(once rounded off of course) And I believe it deserves a place in My Radio as it will be treated as a bunch of radio stations. Whether they are tuned or streamed should not matter in My Radio as average listeners(WAF factor) couldn't care less where it comes from as long as they play stuff you want to hear.


Stability issues - basically you can't do anything else while listening to a stream connected from this plugin....loss of MP focus kills the stream. Maybe you can get the BASS player to stream it? I don't know if that's more stable or if that would even work. I can stream now without losing the stream when MP is minimized to tray using the old .pls method, but this plugin always shuts the stream down when you do anything that loses focus.

This is not an issue on my HTPC cause its usually used for one function at a time(mostly). On this comp however, I use MP for most playing in window mode, and switch back and forth. Normally all works pretty well, for the most part, more testing with 2.3 stable should iron out the rest.

Layout issues in skins besides blue two - much work needs done here, but from what I can tell, it's just organization of layout support for wide skins/strange layout skins. (this would be the veiled call to skin authors to support this please!!!)

Once again, thank you very much for this plugin and it's simplified approach to usage and setup, make it an MPI and the setup issues disappear and it's near perfect.

m0deth

[elcool0r]

Now thats a cool plugin, great work. Finally i can use shoutcast comfortable in mediaportal
But I have 3 small requests.

1. Xface skin compatibility - it's looking really funny in there And the name "shoutcast directory" is too long for the xface main menu.

2. I'm kind of impatient and when i'm clicking on a station nothing happens for a few seconds, could you build in some visual feedback after clicking ?

3. I don't know if this one is even possible. When i selected a genre i have to hit your back button to get back to the genre list. In the Video & music section i'm normally using the back button on my remote but unfortuanly it brings me back to the main menu



Just after posting my requests i found another one

When i'm minimizing mediaportal (quiting) the stream stops. Could u let it play like in the music plugin ?

[floepie]

Thanks for this great plugin! I know it's been mentioned, but I'd second the need for:

1. Widescreen support
2. Favorites
3. Use the same genre categories as in the dropdown shoutcast genre list. There just seems to be too many genres in the list. Not a biggie though.

[vertiger]

@m0deth:
1. - widestreen added
2. - favorites list is in progress
3. - for appearance in my radio with radion plugin has to be changed - this has to be done by the mp-devs

- the loss of focus do not stops the stream, but minimize to tray does - i will take a look

@elcool0r
1. - shorted the name
2. - in progress (together with the background woorker)
3. - done

- the music plugin also stops playing when minimized

@floepie
1. - done
2. - in progress
3. - i won't do this, because i grab all genres and won't builtin hardcoded genres

[Deckard]

Great plugin ! Keep on working on it !

[DJBlu]

I have modified the skin so it is compatible with XFace, the download is here.

XFace Skin for Shoutcast Plugin

Note to plugin developer, can you keep the id's the same so I can keep this upto date. Thanks.

[Deckard]

Originally Posted by DJBlu

I have modified the skin so it is compatible with XFace

I have an error about genre when going to the plugin. Don't know why ...
Also I prefer to use XFace "radio" PNGs. So I copy & rename them with "shoutcast" to make this work.
Thank you.

[scargill]

AWESOME - THANKS A LOT BUT....

All listings -on wide (1024*768)- screws text up ... numbers overlap text looks bad.
Favourites is a must.
Any chance of a rename - for my wife who isn't into technology, "My Internet Radio" would make a LOT more sense

[DJBlu]

Originally Posted by Deckard

I have an error about genre when going to the plugin. Don't know why ...
Also I prefer to use XFace "radio" PNGs. So I copy & rename them with "shoutcast" to make this work.
Thank you.

I was using an old version of Shoutcast plugin, I have updated the skin and it works with the latest version. I put that logo in as I like it. I have changed it to the radio logo now.

XFace Skin for Shoutcast Plugin